For Christmas this year I was given a soot covered rusty brass stove with a little aluminum pot on top. After a few quick google searches I learned more about it, discovering it was a SVEA 123 stove R model I think as the "gas key" is triangular with a few hex shaped cutouts. I was enamored by the stove, and spent 3 days cleaning and restoring its looks. It looked almost brand new despite a few scratches. I quickly purchased a bottle of Coleman white gas and on a nice morning about 60 - 65 degrees, I brought it outside and set it up. Having studied various videos and sources the night before about how to use the stove, I came prepared with a cut plastic straw to fill the priming divot on stove. After about 3-4 primes it began to make a humming noise like a tea kettle. I then twisted the key and with a lighter started the stove. It looked wonderful with its blue flames spewing out of the brass bell shaped piece. I quickly out the wind screen on and prepared to put on my small pot of water, before a piece of the burner pipe burst and fuel sprayed everywhere lighting the ground a table I used in flames. I quickly pushed it off the table before blowing out the flames. For whatever reason I considered this a small accident not realizing the pipe had burst, thinking excess fuel had come from the nozzle as the fire was not severe enough to stop my excitement of successfully using this stove I had poured hours of labor into. I let it cool down before priming again and yet again achieving a nice blue flame, happy with my work I again went to grab my pot of water before it exploded into 2 foot tall flames, after watching for a moment they only grew larger so I ran inside and grabbed a fire extinguisher, after it began to melt the table I reluctantly pushed it off and sprayed it down with the fire extinguisher to negate unneeded chemical spray into my neighbors yard where his dog hangs out. I then came out with a pitcher of water and some paper towels to clean off the chemicals on the stove and my yard and dry off the stove. It broke my heart to see it mangled in flame marks, its shiny brass now warped and covered in dark burns. I then bagged it up and put it in my shed, hoping to one day salvage it for someone who has the time, and dedication to restore it.
@Joseph4 Do you have the courage to take some “after-the-disaster” photos. We can then work out two thing: what is salvageable; and what caused the conflagration. Best regards Tony
@Joseph4 So sorry to hear of your mishap but relieved you were’t injured, nor anyone else or the neighbour’s dog either. That behaviour from a Svea 123R is untypical obviously, and it’s hard to fathom from your description what failed. The ‘burner pipe’ you say, by which I guess you mean the burner stem/riser tube - maybe at where it joins with the control spindle component? As Tony Press says, sight of the debris would be very interesting. Please stay with the hobby and this site. Rotten experience to begin with, but very untypical as I say. Pursuing the blue flames really can be a safe preoccupation. John
If it had a fuel leak, that would have showed its hand when priming. Do wonder why it was primed so much. Thinking the jet wasn't in place or secure, so it spewed a tall flame when the valve was opened, the vapor then being under quite a bit of pressure and unable to vaporize the raw fuel, so raw fuel exited and caught fire when exposed to flame and air, that is what caused your panic. Should have seen if it worked before the beautification. Duane
@Joseph4 First of all - I am glad nobody got hurt and that you kept cool instead of panicking - Secondly, You’re one of the witnesses to why its always a good idea to have some kind of extinguisher! Third - a warm welcome here, and thank you for sharing your incident. as mentionend - this is not typical for a 123R. My only explanition would be that someone down the times of its history might have used excessive force by using the regulator as a handle to tightend/unscrew a stuck burner head and by that have caused the cracks you came to experience. (Wrecked/spiralled/twisted burner tube is a well known failure after to much force) A few pics would help in order to point you in the right direction for the needed parts. Cheers
Welcome, you have our attention, the Svea is a favorite here. We are all curious what could have happened. Pics and details, please
I had washed and dried it, then bagged it and put it in my shed, this is it now. It won't let me insert the picture during the inncident but in the picture you can see the flames spewing from inside the windscreen. Looking at it now with more refrences for my previous descriptions I can see that it was around the where the key valve connector joins the main fuel line or pipe piece that connects to the burner bell. with some TLC it could definetley be restored to some degree, but I doubt if I would try to light it again. Yes I do have the fuel cap, and yes it was fulled screwed on and had no issues with that.
Sounds like a expert needs to look at it. If you indeed viewed videos, you would know only a single prime would be sufficient. Duane
"humming noise like a tea kettle" doesn't sound like a good sound. Wonder if the SRV was venting due to the primes??
Hello, sorry for your nasty adventure... I suspect too much fuel into the tank, that’s the “bubbling” noise... that should have caused also too much pressure so fast... Nicola
There are so many possibilities. Your description is somewhat vague and I cannot do anything but guess. Another problem is the terminology. Photos of what you write about help to clarify so we can all be thinking the same. If you could take photos it would help us help you. Ken
@Joseph4 , Welcome to CCS! Sorry you're having problems with your 123R. Where in the US do you live? If you live near a CCS member, maybe you would send your stove to them, so that an experienced Stovie could give it a thorough check up, and thus be able to find your problem, and fix it for you. We're a trustworthy bunch, here at CCS, so you needn't worry about any of us swiping your stove. Give it some thought. I'm wondering if you replaced your fuel cap gasket, and SRV pip. Did you do anything like that? If not, they are very probably as hard as rocks, and could be the cause of your massive flame-up. Had you asked here, before trying to fire up your 123R, I'm sure we would have recommended you do that, because otherwise, your stove is not safe to use. Let us know if we can help in this way.... Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
I have had high flames from a fuel cap that had been manufactured with screw threads that did not quite match the tank threads. When the flames got to three feet high, I decided to use the nearby fire extinguisher. I have a 2 kg carbon dioxide gas extinguisher. Always best to have mitigation measures in place, if the prevention measures fail. All the best Joseph with future experiments. Cheers Simon Foxxx
Spent a good chunk of time cleaning it up today, to see if it is salvageable. I cleaned it up good with a variety of brushes, some vinegar, steel wood, and some good ol' elbow grease. The main issue I can see now is the top bar over the large gap in the wind screen has cracked and come off, as well as on the the pot legs next to it. Their is also a small crack in the brass on the leg retention bend on the wind screen. Besides a few scratches, and some deep burns it cleaned up very nicely, especially the gas tank. Also When I originally received the stove I also got a gas cap but with a deep like insert, and a "Optimus mini pump" which after some research don't look like they even belong with this stove.
Wow Have heard stories about problems with the 123 stoves but not to this extent . From the prior to the fire photos one would think it was relatively good condition . You can obtain a new screen easily on Flea bay for around 25 bucks . As everyone has said the stove needs to be gone thru and resealed and tested . In the nearly 50 years I have been using them , bought my first in 1968 and still use it , never had a problem , The stove is worth looking at and getting it back into working order , you won't be disappointed . The mini pump and cap can indeed be used with that stove just 2-3 pumps for enough pressure to fill the priming bowl when the key is open . Glad you were not harmed bet is was a scary dance around the fire . WR
Before using this stove again I would strongly suggest that you do a 'Dunk Test'. Remove windscreen. Remove burner bell. Empty of fuel. Put in freezer till cold. Close the filler cap and valve. Submerge in hot water. Note where bubbles form as the stove gets hot. Optional: You can repeat the above test after removing the cleaning needle, and replacing the jet. The stove will run fine without the cleaning needle. Report back here with results. In the mean time I would also suggest more research here on rebuilding the 123R. The nut where the key fits looks wrong. That nut compresses a graphite gasket. Ken
This is one of the videos I used for research on how to operate the stove, thinking back it 60 -65 is a bad description of the weather. It was most likely more around 45 Fahrenheit outside, and after watching this video I assumed it required about 2 - 3 primes.
I took the stove apart (accept for the vaporizer) and checked it out. I saw that the cloth ring around the key spindle is a little mangled. I then put it back together (without the cleaning needle) and put it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Then I put it in the water, and saw bubbles coming from under and around the fuel cap, which during the original fire, or what I saw at least, the fuel was leaking from either a crack in what I know now is the vaporizer or after inspecting it possibly the base where it connects to the gas tank. I did the test a second time making sure the fuel cap was screwed on well and had the same results and no water within the gas tank. I did however fiddle with the vaporizer before hand in a failed attempt to remove it as directed in the "SVEA 123R Disassembly" thread here. What I would like to know is how I can fix any problems that this might be indicative of, and how it might have been related to the original fire which was very similar to what Simon Foxxx explained above, as I had also experienced around 3 foot uncontrollable flames.
